Survey shows solo trips, park and ride are dominant downtown modes

A survey of commuting habits by central business district workers includes a sort of glass half full/half empty perspective on use of cars and transit. On the plus side, 43.2 percent of workers use transit, walk, bike or share a ride, downtown economic development leaders and Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said.

The bad news is that means nearly 57 percent of people drive alone, clogging city streets.

“I am hoping the next time this survey is done, we see those numbers move a little bit,” Metro board member Christof Spieler said.

The study, by the Houston Downtown Management District, found most downtown workers favor their solo drive over public transit or sharing a ride, although downtown remains one of the most transit-rich parts of the city. Here’s a breakdown of the most common commuting methods, according to the 12,701 responses:

Since 2009, when the management district also did a commuting survey, the number of workers driving solo has increased by 8.4 percent, while park and ride, bus/rail and carpool use has dipped. The difference might be related to who responded to the survey in the recent round, said Louis Cataia, transportation planning coordinator for the downtown district. Many more government employees and fewer health care workers were reflected in the 2013 survey, he said. Workers in different industries have various travel habits. Energy sector and custodial employees, for example, are much more like to use transit, according to the survey.

It’s also interesting to note that Metro’s emphasis on how a third of downtown workers use transit relies very heavily on park and ride. It isn’t local buses and train that are taking people to work; it’s commuter buses. Rail and local bus service basically bring in one out of every 16 downtown workers, yet Metro’s focus lately has been largely on opening rail lines and redesigning the current local bus system. Park and rides, meanwhile, have crowded in some spots to record levels.

Spieler and others said the survey showed officials that must do a better job giving workers — most of whom live west of downtown — options more appealing than driving alone. As more people work downtown, streets will clog even more if the majority of them choose to drive. Metro and the management district said improving transit and pedestrian and bicycle opportunities is needed. Bob Eury, the management district’s director, said Metro’s reimagining plan is a large part of that, along with adding residential options in downtown.

Either way, Metro must adjust to the demand for transit, Spieler said.

“People are making different choices of where to live and our system doesn’t serve them well,” he said. “I think this points to some huge opportunities for us.”